Saturday

Cloud Gate is a large public sculpture which was first unveiled at the opening of Millennium Park in 2004. It soon became one of the city's most photographed attractions, and is now one a famous symbol of Chicago.

Cloud Gate

The Cloud Gate further cemented Chicago's reputation of a city at the
forefront of public art and follows in the footsteps of earlier
well-known public installations such as Alexander Calder's Flamingo at Federal Center, Picasso's untitled sculpture at the City Hall and Jean Dubuffet's Monument with Standing Beast at the James R. Thompson Center.

The Name

Even before it was given an official title, Chicagoans were quick to dub
the reflective steel sculpture 'the Bean' after its peculiar shape and
the name stuck. The official name however is Cloud Gate as it represents
a gate to the city it reflects.

Design

Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate was the first public sculpture of Indian-born and
London-based artist Anish Kapoor. His work was selected out of two
proposals that were submitted in 1999 for a showpiece sculpture in the
new, modern Millennium Park, which was scheduled to open in 2000.
Kapoor designed a stainless steel construction consisting of 168 plates,
each 1 cm (0.4 inch) thick and seamlessly welded together. The
structure weighs 100 tons and measures 10 meters high and 20 meters wide
(33 x 66 ft). People can walk through the 3.7 meter high central arch,
where they can look up to the large 'dent' and see numerous distorted
reflections of themselves.

Unveiling

When the new Millennium Park
was officially inaugurated in 2004 after a four year delay, the city
was eager to show the sculpture to the public, as it had spent the hefty
sum of 23 million dollars on what was to become one of the highlights
of the park.

Reflection of the

Michigan Avenue Skyline

Unfortunately
the assembly of the sculpture was well behind schedule and Kapoor was
reluctant to unveil the unfinished artwork to the public. And not
without reason; the structure was still unpolished and the seams were
visible.
As expected, many Chicagoans were highly critical and dismissed the
unfinished 'Bean' as a piece of metal. After the inauguration of the
park, the structure was put back under wraps. Not until it was
completely finished in May, 2006 became its almost magical appeal
visible.
Now seamless and polished, the Cloud Gate reflects and distorts the
skyline of Michigan Avenue, the sky, and the people nearby, who always
seem to have the urge to touch the sculpture's silvery surface. Cloud
Gate instantly became an icon of Chicago, and an attraction that every
visitor to the city wants to see.

Friday

The Berlin Wall, which separated the city in an
eastern and western part, was the symbol of the Cold War. Built by the
goverment of the DDR to prevent East Germans from escaping to the West,
most of the Berlin Wall has been demolished since the border between
East and West Berlin opened in 1989.

Berlin after the war

After
the second world war, defeated Germany was divided up
into 4 parts: an American, British, French and Soviet
occupation zone. Berlin was also divided into 4 sectors.
In 1948, the Soviet authorities tried to annex the whole
city and started a blockade of the US, British and French
sectors. The plans failed due to the Berlin Airlift which carried supplies to the Western sectors,
and in May 1949 the blockade was lifted.
That same year, the Soviet part of Germany became the
German Democratic Republic (GDR) with East Berlin as
its capital. The other zones became the Federal Republic
of Germany with the capital Bonn. The western part of
Berlin became a separate enclave surrounded by East
Germany.

A 'Protection Barrier'

Until 1961, East Germans could move freely between the Western
and Eastern parts of Berlin. But many East Berliner
were attracted by the more prosperous West, and by 1961
up to 20,000 East Germans a month flocked to West Berlin.
On August 12, 1961 the East German authorities decided
to close the border around the

Western sectors of Berlin
in order to prevent people from fleeing. Officially,
it was an antifascist protection barrier to defend the
East against Western aggression.

Berlin Wall East Side Gallery

The next day, early morning August 13, West Berlin was
surrounded by barbed wire. Traffic at the border was
halted and the underground and S-bahn connecting the
different sides of the city were put out of operation.
Houses at the eastern side of the border were evacuated
and the windows on the border side were bricked up.

Over time, the barbed wire was replaced by a 3.6m high
wall. Along the Wall's east side ran a 'death zone',

an area controlled by guards. A total of 302 watchtowers
and 20 bunkers were built along the 155km long border.
The guards were given the order to shoot at escapees.
As a result 192 people were killed in an attempt to
cross the border to the West.

Fall of the Wall

After Soviet President Gorbatchev visited West Germany in
1989, Hungary opened its border with Austria. This allowed
East Germans to flock to the West. Meanwhile, street
protests drawing more and more people put pressure on
the GDR government.

Memorial Berlin Wall

Finally on November 9, 1989, travel
restrictions were lifted. Shortly after, border gates
opened and people flooded into West Berlin.

Remnants of the Wall

Most of the wall has been dismantled since, but some
parts still stand. The most famous one is the 1316m
long East Side Gallery. It is located along Mühlenstrasse
between Warschauer Strasse and the Ostbahnhof and
contains 106 paintings.

The official Berlin Wall Memorial Site can be
found at
Bernauer Strasse - the site of many escapes
from East to West Berlin and also the place where the official
destruction of the Wall started. Here you can overlook an intact section
of the wall, complete with security zone and watchtower from an
observation deck opposite the street.

Other, smaller sections can be found around Potsdamer Platz, the Reichstag,
Invaliedenfriedhof, Bornholmer Strasse, Nieder-kirchner
Strasse and Zimmerstrasse near Checkpoint Charlie.

Wednesday

In May 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the fall of
the Nazi regime and the end of World War II, the city of Berlin
dedicated their Holocaust Memorial, designed to commemorate the murder
of six million Jews at the hands of Hitler and his forces.

The Design

The idea for a Holocaust Memorial was first
proposed in 1988 but the design for the monument wasn't approved until
1999. At that time, U.S. architect Peter Eisenman's controversial design
was chosen as a fitting tribute to the Jews that died before and during
World War II as part of Hitler's plan to exterminate them.

Eisenman's design is quite unique and has drawn
both praise and criticism. Occupying about 205,000 square feet (19,000
square meters) of space near the Brandenburg Gate and just a short distance from where the ruins of Hitler's bunker is buried, the Berlin Holocaust Memorial

is made up of 2,711 gray stone slabs that bear no markings, such as names or dates.

The slabs undulate in a wave-like pattern. Each is a
five-sided monolith, individually unique in shape and size. Some are
only ankle high while others tower over visitors. The paths that are
shaped between the slabs undulate as well. Eisenman hoped to create a
feeling of groundlessness and instability; a sense of disorientation.
Most will agree that he succeeded.

Visitors may walk through the memorial in any
direction as there is no set pattern to the stones. The architect has
said that he hopes it will merely become a natural part of the city,
blending in with its background; used for shortcuts on the way home from
work or a place of peace and quiet on a

chaotic day.

Visiting the Holocaust Memorial

The Holocaust Memorial, officially named the
Monument to the Murdered Jews in Europe, can be visited at anytime -
night or day. A subterranean Information Center, located at the base of
the memorial, offers stories of families and individuals who faced the
wrath of the Nazi party and provides further information about the
design and construction of the memorial. The Information Center is open
from 10 am until 8 pm.

Saturday

According to legend, the Great Wall was built by the first
emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang (Reigned 221-210 BC), though
historical records trace the true origin of the wall to defensive
fortifications built in the fifth century BC From the statement "Square
walls surround the Kingdom of Chu," we can trace walls with a total
length of 500 kilometers in what is now Henan Province dating back to
the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC). In addition to Chu, the kingdoms
of Qin, Qi, Wei, Zhao, Han and Yan all had their own separate defensive
walls spread about through the Yellow and Yangtze River basins, running
in different directions and beginning and ending abruptly. The walls of
this period bear little relationship to the wall of today with its
predominantly east-west configuration.

In 221 BC, the armies of
Qin conquered the abovementioned six kingdoms and unified China. Qin Shi
Huang ordered the demolition of the walls separating these kingdoms and
rebuilt a new "Great Wall," based on the walls protecting the northern
frontiers of Yan, Zhao and Qin. According to the Records of the Historian (shiji),
written approximately 100 BC, "General Meng Tian mobilized 300,000
laborers and built a great wall which followed the contour of the land,
taking advantage of natural defenses." This wall extended more than
6,000 kilometers from Lintiao (in Gansu Province) to Liaodong. Thus the
general plan of today's Great Wall was laid down during the Qin Dynasty
(221-206 BC).

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC- AD 220) Which
followed the Qin, in addition to making improvements in the Qin wall,
the Han emperors constructed a separate outer wall north of the Yinshan
Range with a total length of 10,000 kilometers. This was the longest
single wall built in ancient China. After the fall of the Han Dynasty,
the wall gradually decayed into ruins. In 1368, the founding year of the
Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu commanded his general Xu Da to direct the
reconstruction of the Great Wall. Beginning at the Juyong Pass, the work
went on for more than 100 years. Based on the general dimensions of the
Qin Wall, the Ming wall stretched from its westernmost point at the
Jiayu Pass more than 6,000 kilometers east to the Yalu River. The
section, which lies between the Jiayu and Shanhai, passes remains in
good condition today and is known throughout the world as the Great Wall
of China.

Setting out from Beijing, the most popular destination for
visiting the Great Wall is Badaling. Both trains and buses go to the
northwest of the city proper in a deep mountain-flanked gully 15
kilometers long. In summer, the peaks here are covered with brilliant
stretches of leaves and luxuriant flowers. As early as the 13th century,
the area was known for its beauty, and was listed as one of the"Eight
Great Sights of Yanjing." The name "Juyong" first appeared in the huainanzi,
a philosophical work from the second century BC, in the following
annotation: "The Juyong Pass is one of the nine great passes in the
country."

To the west of the Juyong Pass is a white marble
structure called the Cloud Platform (Yuntai), which was built in 1345 to
serve as the foundation for a set of three stone pagodas built at the
command of Emperor Huizong, the last ruler of the Yuan Dynasty. At this
time, the structure was known as the Pagoda Bridge (Guojieta). After the
pagodas were destroyed some time around the fall of the Yuan Dynasty
(1368), the Great Peace Temple (Tai' ansi) was built to replace them. But the temple was burned down in 1702 during the reign of Emperor kangxi.

The
Cloud Platform is pierced by a hexagonal arched gateway. Both the
ceiling and facades are covered with Buddhist carvings, including
depictions of the Four Heavenly Kings in relief executed with great
detail and expressiveness. Texts of Dharani sutras and an inscription
entitled "A Record of Charitable and Pious Pagoda Building" carved in
six languages -- Lantsha (Nepalese Sanskirt), Tibetan, Phagspa
Mongolian, Uygur, Western Xia and Han -- are valuable for the study of
philology. The inner roof of the arch is covered with mandala patterns
and Buddha images surrounded by flowers, all fine examples of Yuan
Dynasty craftsmanship.

The Juyong Pass area contains many relics
associated with popular legends. One of these relics, dating back to
the Northern Song Dynasty, is the Five Heroes Temple, which commemorates
the ostensible digging of the gully by five men of unusual strength.
The fanciful name of the Playing the Zither Gorge (Tanqinxia) is derived
from the clear and melodious sounds of the river flowing through it.

Continuing on from the Juyong Pass, one will arrive at Badaling,
the highest point along the entire length of the Great Wall. Between
Badaling and Juyong Pass, two Chinese characters Tianxian (Natural
Barrier) are carved into a steep and imposing cliff. During the Ming
Dynasty, two fortifications were built in this area, the Northern Gate
Pass on west and the Juyong Garrison on the east. By climbing up through
the pass and looking westward, one will be able to see a chain of
mountains stretching away to the horizon with a single defile leading
through them. To the north of the ridges near the wall is the platform
for Viewing the Capital (Wangjingtai) and on clear days the White Dagoba
in Beijing Park can be seen from here. By climbing over another slope
and following a flight of stone steps up to the highest point of the
southern section of the wall, one can see the dragon-like Great Wall
making its way over the mountains.

Strategic platforms were
built every 300 to 500 meters along the wall. These platforms served a
variety of purposes: for posting patrols and sentries; to serve as
observation posts; and as battle platforms for offensive actions and
weapon storage. Here there are also reinforcing walls built alongside
the wall proper and beacon towers for transmitting military information.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall most frequented by
visitors dates from the Ming Dynasty, Constructed of large blocks of
granite and bricks, the wall at this point is 6.6 meters high and 6.5
meters wide at its base, narrowing to 5.5 meters on the rampart. It is
wide enough to permit five or six horses to stand abreast.

In
recent years, the Chinese government has carried out restoration work on
the sections of the wall which have collapsed or been eroded by wind
and sand. Despite this, the great increase in tourists at the Great Wall
in recent years has led experts to suggest the opening of a "second
Badaling" to accommodate the great number of visitors. The "second
Badaling" is located to the northeast of Beijing proper and can be
reached by bus in approximately two hours. Built on the Great and lesser
Gold mountains (Jinshan), this section is also called the Gold Mountain
Great Wall. According to historical records, the construction of this
part of the wall was begun in 1571, and is part of the
1,000-kilometer-long section of the wall between the Shanhai Pass in the
east and Changping County in the west, which was the result of
cooperation between two famous Ming generals, Qi Jiguang and Tan Lun. In
terms of construction it is in no way inferior to the wall at Badaling.

The Great Wall at the Gold Mountain is seven meters high, six
meters wide, and built of rectangular slabs of stone. The brick-paved
walkway along the top of the wall is four meters wide and the
crenellated openings two meters wide. In the merlons (the solid
intervals between the crenels) there are small holes for observation and
shooting arrows. There are also special openings between the crenels to
insert flags for display or signal transmission.

The 158 battle
platforms in the Gold Mountain section of the Great Wall were designed
in a great variety of shapes-square, circular, oval and multi-cornered.
Their interiors are constructed of wood or brick and their roofs are
flat, domed or barrel-vaulted. There are also variations in the shape of
the archways, which give access to the battle platforms.

To the
north of Tiger Mountain is a huge solitary piece of rock, which has in
it an indentation one meter in diameter and 20 cm deep called the Spring
of Heaven. The water from this spring flows continuously in both the
rainy and fry seasons. Near the spring is a defense tower called the
Five Eyes Tower. Unique in design, the body of the tower is made of
rectangular stone blocks and the roof of polished bricks. Inside there
are two large barrel-vaulted ceilings, three corridors, 10 arched
openings and a central octagonal dome supported by four brick columns
arranged in a square. The stone columns are decorated with relief
carvings of flowers, which add a touch of elegance to this otherwise
austere building. Standing atop this tower, one can see the Great Wall
winding its way along the contours of the mountains. From this vantage
point, the wall appears like a ribbon of jade linking the Wuling
Mountain (the highest peak of the Yanshan Range) with the Sleeping Tiger
Range near Gubeikou.

Leaving the Five Eyes Tower and proceeding
along the wall, one comes to the Tower for Viewing the Capital
(Wangjinglou), which sits at a strategic point in Tiger Mouth Peak. The
tower commands a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Off to
the southwest, the mirror-like surface of Miyun Reservoir appears, the
outline of Beijing can be seen in the early morning and the city lights
become visible at night.

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall was opened to tourists on
May 1, 1986. Located 73 kilometers from Beijing proper, it joins the
Juyong Pass in the west and Gubeikou in the east. A new 4,000-meter-long
pathway has been constructed from the road. It can also be reached by
cable car.

This well-preserved section was built about 1,400 years ago and reconstructed later during the Ming Dynasty. History of Ming Military Affairs explains why it was rebuilt.

When
Emperor Yongle returned north and reestablished Beijing as the capital,
he was exposed to attack on three sides. Harassment increased after the
reign of Emperor Zhengtong, so work was begun to strengthen and
lengthen the wall at Yalu River in the east.

The strategic
importance of Mutianyu was obvious, as many battles took place there. It
is said that during the Three Kingdoms period when Cao Cao exterminated
Yuan Shao's regime, his army advanced through Mutianyu. In the mid-Ming
years, the noted General Qi Jiguang was transferred from the south. As
Military Superintendent of Jizhen, he built observation towers and
provided storage areas for military weapons.

The highest
observation tower in the Mutianyu section is 540 meters above sea level.
Crenels and shooting holes are part of the solid construction. To the
east, the Great Wall continues across the mountain ridges, to the west,
it enters a point of strategic importance at a peak 1,044 meters above
sea level.

Monday

The Colosseum is probably the most impressive
building of the Roman Empire. Originally known as the Flavian
Amphitheater, it was the largest building of the era.

The monumental structure has fallen into ruin, but even today it is an imposing and beautiful sight.

The Colosseum

The Flavian Amphitheater

Emperor Vespasian, founder of the Flavian Dynasty,
started construction of the Colosseum in 72 AD. It was completed in 80
AD, the year after Vespasian's death.
The huge amphitheater was built on the site of an artificial lake, part
of Nero's huge park in the center of Rome which also included the Golden
House (Domus Aurea) and the nearby Colossus statue. This giant statue
of Nero gave the building its current name.

The Building

The Colosseum in Imperial Rome

The elliptical building is immense, measuring 188m
by 156m and reaching a height of more than 48 meters (159 ft). The
magnificent structure was clad in marble and 160 larger-than-life
statues graced the arches on the upper floors.

The Colosseum could accommodate some 55,000 spectators who entered the building through no less than 80 entrances.
Above the ground are four stories, the upper story contained seating for lower classes and women.

The Colosseum today

Colosseum seen from Colle Oppio

The lowest story was preserved for prominent citizens. Below the ground
were rooms with mechanical devices and cages containing wild animals.
The cages could be hoisted, enabling the animals to appear in the middle
of the arena.

Velarium

The Colosseum was covered with an enormous awning
known as the velarium. This protected the spectators from the sun. It
was attached to large poles on top of the Colosseum and anchored to the
ground by large ropes. A team of some 1,000 men was used to install the
awning.

Bread and circuses

Emperors used the Colosseum to entertain the public
with free games. Those games were a symbol of prestige and power and
they were a way for an emperor to increase his popularity.

Inside the Colosseum

Games were held for a whole day or even several days in a row. They
usually started with comical acts and displays of exotic animals and
ended with fights to the death between animals and gladiators or between
gladiators. These fighters were usually slaves, prisoners of war or
condemned criminals.
Sometimes free Romans and even emperors took part in the action.

Night view of

the Colosseum

Inauguration

Hundred-day games were held by Titus, Vespasian's
successor, to mark the inauguration of the building in 80 AD. In the
process, some 9,000 wild animals were slaughtered.

The Ruins

The southern side of the Colosseum was felled by an
earthquake in 847. Parts of the building - including the marble
cladding - were later used for the construction of other landmark
buildings such as the St. Peter's Basilica and Palazzo Farnese.

Thursday

More than any other building in the world, the Empire
State Building represents the ambition of humans to build towers that
reach for the skies. The skyscraper is probably New York's best known
building and can be seen on many postcards.

Empire State Building

Empire State Building at dusk

The spire

Looking up

The spire at night

The Empire State Building also features in many
films, most notably the classic film 'King Kong' from 1933. Even today,
though the building has been stripped from its title of the world's
tallest building, it is a symbol of New York itself, visited by more
than three million people each year.

8th World Wonder

At the time when it was built in the early 1930s on Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building broke all records and was dubbed 'the 8th world wonder'.
The building had 64 elevators (now 73) and was constructed in only 1
year and 45 days. The skyscraper towered over the neighborhood with its
height of 381 meters (1250 ft). As the Empire State Building was one of
the last skyscrapers built before the Great Depression hit the real
estate market, it wouldn't be topped until 1972, when the twin World Trade Towers dethroned the Empire State Building as the world's tallest building.

Construction

The Empire State Building is built on a full city
block. Much of it was occupied by the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which
opened in November 1897 as the city's largest hotel with 1050 rooms. It
was one the most prestigious in New York and attracted an upper-class
clientele. At the end of the 1920s however, the grand and plush design
of the hotel had gone out of style and Waldorf-Astoria decided to build a new, larger hotel uptown.

After the site was cleared, construction started on March 17, 1930.
Thanks to an efficient design and standardized work - similar to an
assembly line - the building would rise at an average of about four and a
half floors a week, faster than any other skyscraper at the time. The
building was officially inaugurated on May 1, 1931 in the presence of
governor Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Design

The Empire State Building was designed by William
Frederick Lamb of the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon.
Lamb, influenced by Raymond Hood's Daily News building,
came up with a fairly simple design, defined by requirements such as
the budget, time limit and New York City's 1916 zoning law. The building
would have a classical composition of a 5 story base, a large tower
with setbacks (required by the city's zoning law) and a monumental
spire. The limestone facade had little or no ornamentation.What
makes the design so great is that for all its simplicity and sheer bulk
it has a perfect composition and massing, giving the building a certain
grandeur.

Spire

The building is topped by an enormous spire. It was
designed as a mooring mast and would enable dirigibles such as
zeppelins to anchor at the top of the building so that passengers could
embark or disembark. This proved to be very unpractical however due to
the instability of zeppelins and after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937
the idea was shelved.

Great Depression

The Empire State Building was one of the last
skyscrapers completed in New York before the Great Depression hit the
real estate market. Demolition of the existing building at the site
started just weeks before the stock market crash of 1929. After 1933 -
when Rockefeller Center was constructed - no tall skyscraper would be built in the city for almost two decades.
As a consequence the Empire State Building held its title of the world's
tallest building for more than 40 years. But the Great Depression also
caused a collapse in the demand for office space. The owners had such a
difficult time leasing office space that the building became known as
the 'Empty State Building'. It would take until the end of the 1940s
before the real estate market fully recovered and in the early 1950s the
Empire State Building even became the most profitable building in New
York City.

Observatory

View from the observatory

You can visit the Empire State Building's
observation deck on the 86th floor from where you have a magnificent
view over the city of New York.

The Empire State Building is situated south of Midtown, away from the
skyscraper clusters in midtown and in the financial district downtown,
so this is one of the few places in Manhattan where you have an open 360
degree view.

If you're looking for the best view of the Empire State Building itself, you better go to Rockefeller Center's observatory.